


Forking Paths

by Lady_lyanna



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Adult Content, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Character Death, Eventual Happy Ending, F/M, Heavy Angst, Jon Snow is not a Targaryen, Jonerys, Miscarriage, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Rating May Change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-04-05
Packaged: 2019-03-09 19:30:48
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,241
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13488273
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lady_lyanna/pseuds/Lady_lyanna
Summary: Living in a big city with wealth and glory at her fingertips, Daenerys had been consumed by the glamour of her life. When hard times hit, she shut herself away and buried herself in work until eventually, Jon stopped waiting for her to come home. Four years later, she’s attending his brother’s wedding, unprepared for what she sees. Her ex-boyfriend's reappearance into her life throws her through a loop and she is forced to face the reality of her feelings.





	1. Everything Has Changed

**Author's Note:**

> Jon is not a Targaryen in this verse. He’s born from Ned’s first marriage to Ashara Dayne, which was incredibly short-lived. Catelyn isn’t horrible to him.
> 
> Also, this is a Jonerys fic. This is not for Jon/Ygritte fans.

It’s still dark outside when her phone begins to ring, a siren hailing in a long day. She wakes with a start, fingers fumbling around and searching the thick sheets to find the noisy device. It’s pressed to her ear in an instant, tiredly accepting the call from an excitable bride. Her body is hunched over at the waist, barely functioning from the unexpected wake-up call.

  
Bleary eyes focus on the ornate clock sat on a glass side table, the minute hand just touching 6 am.

  
“Margaery,” she grumbles, running her free hand through her thick, knotted locks. Beside her, a body groans and rolls over, a stray hand sliding up the length of her back. A cringe is barely forced back, she’d forgotten about her late night visitor. It had been her fourth glass of Arbor gold which made her invite him to the bed, that and the fact that she’d been attempting to find courage and solace in the vino.

  
“Time to get up and get some strong coffee!” Margaery chimes, barely tugging a response from a sleep deprived woman who is simply trying to piece together her consciousness.

  
Pulling away from Daario’s wandering hands, she pushed her feet into the plush carpet and searches for her silk robe, pulling it over her naked body.

  
“It’s fortunate that you’re getting married today. Otherwise, I’d be pretty pissed off that you woke me up before the sun!” She hears her best friend scoffing, and it’s only then that Daenerys continues, “I’ll be with you by 8 am. Try not to exhaust yourself from excitement.”

  
The phone is hung up then, forcing Daenerys to face the elephant in the room. It is unfortunately not the first time that she’s seeking comfort in Daario’s arms when loneliness has crept in and all she’d thought about is the love that she once had. Frustrating is just one word to describe her inability to get over the one that got away.

  
“Come back to bed.” She is encouraged by silky words but holds her stance in the middle of the bedroom. Slowly, she shakes her head and folds her arms together. Every time she tells herself it won’t happen again, it’s pathetic and she should know better.

  
“You need to leave. I have a busy day ahead of me and it’s already started.” Her voice is void of emotion, causing Daario to rise from his spot and move over to where she’s standing.

  
“Come on! You know I treat you like a queen in bed.” Daenerys internally scolds her drunken choices, she certainly shouldn’t encourage the man who is already too infatuated with her.

  
“Last night should not have happened,” she begins, only to be interrupted by a finger pressing to her lips. It’s not charming, just irritating.

  
“You always say that,” he responds, pressing a kiss to the side of her face.

  
Rolling her eyes, she pushes him away.

  
“I mean it, Daario. I can have my driver to give you a lift home,” she suggests, hoping that Jorah won’t mind too much. Anything to get Mr Naharis out of her house. There always appears to be a flicker of disgust and annoyance in the older man’s features, whenever Daario is around. But now Daenerys can feel her impatience flaring, annoyance festering, directly caused by the man in her bed.

  
“Forget it.”

Soon enough she’s watching as last night’s mistake is pulling on his black trousers and crumbled white shirt. He had come around after work, bringing a bottle of her favourite wine and some mysterious looking flowers which are now wilting on the marble countertop, since she’d forgotten to put them in a vase.

  
When the door is slammed shut, it’s only then that she switches on the shower. Daenerys welcomes the relief of the hot pouring of water which cleanses her body, removing last night’s mistake and unknotting the thick mass of long hair which looked almost like molten silver when wet.

  
**- ><-**

  
A noise barely registers against the oak of the door from where she knocks, before it’s swinging open with a quick flourish. No words leave her mouth before she is welcomed by a big ball of grey fluff, the husky excitedly welcoming her. She was certain that before Margaery came into the picture, Greywind was a little more reserved. But he had only been a puppy at the time. Each one of the Starks had taken one of the rescue puppies, the animal quickly taking on characteristics of its master.

  
“Hello to you too,” she smiles, glancing up at Margaery who is practically beaming. “That excited?”

  
Despite her tiredness, Daenerys is excited about the wedding and for her friends. Since kindergarten Margaery and her have been inseparable, they were the sister that the other never had. Later, when Sansa was older, she made their duo and trio, the three of them always hanging out in the Stark’s family home.

  
Aside from when Robb had briefly dated Jeyne, it was clear that Margaery and Robb were supposed to be together. During those few months before the two had gotten together, her best friend had spent many nights trying into her pillow. The poor girl was completely lovestruck. But even Dany couldn’t deny the Stark charm.

  
The manor lovingly named Winterfell had always felt like home. Everyone was always so welcoming, Catelyn treating all her children’s friends with kindness. From what she had heard, it had been an adjustment for Catelyn to become a mother figure to Jon, whose own had died in birth. Ned had been grieving the death of his wife for a year before he met Catelyn. He had not expected to fall in love or marry again so soon after, but he had seen how fragile life could be and did not wish to deny his heart. It was Catelyn who told Jon stories of Ashara.

  
“You still there, Daenerys? Rose wants cuddles from her favourite godmother,” Margaery says, pulling Daenerys from her deep thoughts. Her violet gaze lands on the six-month-old positioned on Mar’s hip.

  
As she smiles at Rose, the young girl extends her arms forward. Daenerys takes the opportunity to collect the baby into her arms, pressing kisses to her cheek. Whilst the young girl’s hair is coloured like her mother’s, in the sun it has a hint of her father’s auburn tones and it certainly curls the same way.

  
Upon entering the house, Daenerys notices that both Olenna and Alerie have arrived and are sat drinking bellinis. She knows that Margaery has many bridesmaids who will be meeting them at the venue, where they will help the woman to get ready in the bridal suite.

  
“Good gracious my dear, we need to get you an under-eye mask!” Olenna proclaims, giving her a pointed look. Clearly, her lack of sleep was showing. There was her friend all bright and glowing despite having a young child, yet it was her who needed the masks to hide her growing bags. Fortunately, Daenerys had thrown a pair of Chantecaille eye masks in her make-up bag, which she’s forgone in favour of eating sooner. Her early morning and late night mean that she is ravenous for the breakfast which has been prepared.

  
“Grandmother!” Margaery scolds, sitting down at the table to pour a glass of Bellini. It is placed out Rose’s reach, who will quite happily grab anything if she likes the look of it.

“We facetimed Robb this morning, who by the way, is completely hopeless without his girls,” she grins, popping a ripe strawberry into her mouth.It’s been almost two years since they got engaged, but Margaery had wanted the wedding to be just right and then planning had been put on hold when Rose was first born, but finally, the day has come.  
Daenerys bounces Rose on her lap, smiling at all the jubilant giggles which fall quickly from the baby’s mouth. There’s a pang in her heart, a flicker of jealousy which she quickly staunches, she won’t let it affect her love for the little girl.

  
“What time do we need to head to the venue?” she enquires, tilting her head to the side. She isn’t known for her patience and there is certainly the threat of sitting around waiting, which is one of the reasons why she hoped for a lie in.

  
“Just after 10 am. Leonette will be meeting us in the suite, she’s going to style my hair and then do any remaining bridesmaids afterwards. Either Sera or Mira will be styling yours.” She is used to people styling her hair, especially during fashion week. As the Editor in Chief of Casterly Magazine, it is expected that she will go high profile events to promote the fashion magazine. Cersei would have her head if she didn’t.

  
When Margaery and her mother leave the room, she is left in the company of Olenna, and it is not long before the elderly woman seizes the opportunity to probe. “My granddaughter tells me that Robb’s older brother has returned from his travels and is to be best man at the wedding.” It’s a leading comment and it takes effort for her not to cringe.

  
“Well remembered,” she mutters, ire lacing her words. She focuses on feeding Rose the pureed apple, not wanting to linger on thoughts of her ex-boyfriend. She had spent too many nights thinking of Jon Stark. She can only be glad that her parents aren’t around, they have some rather strong opinions about Jon that she’d rather not hear. But then, she hasn’t really told them the whole story. Her parents would only mollycoddle her, even more than the did when she was growing up.

  
The day does not go as slow as Daenerys had initially feared, as maid of honour she is at Margaery’s beckon call. Most of her time is filled with entertaining Rose. Catelyn briefly arrives a little later, greeting everybody with excitement. She’s dressed in a rich green dress, which accents the auburn tones of her hair wonderfully. The elder woman gives her an encouraging smile before leaving to go back to her son, taking Rose with her, it reminds her of the many times when she’d sat with the Starks eating dinner and talking about her future. Catelyn has always been so kind to her.

  
For so long she’s pushed away thoughts of Jon, of the life they were building, but being around his family brings it all back. If they had stayed together, Daenerys imagines that they would have been married already. Jon always seemed more ready than she was, soothing away all her fears.

  
When she walks down the aisle, flowers in hand, she sees him stood next to Robb. It’s the first time in four years and it’s terrifying. No, she thinks stubbornly. She will not do this, she is stronger than any man and she will not crumble before him. She keeps her neck held high, offering a smile at Robb before settling to the side. Daenerys does not glance at Jon again, she won’t do it to herself. But as she looks out into the crowd, waiting for Margaery to walk down, she feels a pair of stranger eyes burning into her. It catches her attention, and as soon as she looks in the direction, the woman looks away. What concerns her most is that the woman with fiery hair is stood next to Jon’s best friend, Sam.

  
Margaery looks radiant when she walks down the aisle, dusky roses entwined within the soft brown curls and as her gown of Myrish lace floats around her. The wedding ceremony is quick, Robb making comments that make the bride blush, which the groom is jabbed in the side by his best man. A few laughs are heard through the church, that is until Rose becomes inconsolable. Poor Catelyn bounces the young girl, who seems desperate to be closer to Margaery.

  
Since her friend cannot hold Rose, she bends to collect the young girl from Catelyn’s arms. Slowly, she begins to rock the young girl as the duo say their vows, and now it’s Jon’s eyes that burn her skin. Rose settles her head in the crook of Daenerys’s neck, forcing her to lean her own head awkwardly to the left to accommodate the child.

  
She’s amazed when the cheers don’t wake little Rose, but the girl is quite happily curled up against her chest. As the couple turn to walk down the aisle, Margaery gives her a look, silently asking if she’s okay with Rose.

  
Daenerys simply nods, walking in line with Sansa.

  
As they leave the church, Daenerys spots the Stark family all clustering together. Since she has spent all of her day with Margaery and the other bridesmaids, she had not set her eyes on the close-knit family. Her eyes naturally find Jon, knees almost buckling from the sight of him. She sees him and it’s like nothing has changed, he looks exactly the same. It’s only when she notices a pale, unfamiliar hand clasped within his own, that she realises nothing is the same.

  
Everything else fades away and the only word to slip through her lips is, “Who?”

  
“That’s his fiancee, Ygritte,” Sansa murmurs with a hint of distaste, forcing her to turn away from the sight.

 

So that’s what he’d been doing on his travels...finding another love. 

  
“Oh,” she responds, holding the sleeping baby close to her body. She does not care if her hair is being messed by the head nestled in the crook of her neck, she just needs to feel the comfort of Rose being there. Holding a baby in her arms, looking at Jon with his fiancee, she is reminded of a future which almost was.


	2. You Left Me First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As the wedding continues, Daenerys is determined to ignore Jon and his fiancee. But it appears that they have other ideas.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I've been overwhelmed by the amount of support that this story has gotten so far. I truly do appreciate all the kind words and encouragement. I do ask though that you all be kind to one another, as well.

[ ](https://www.flickr.com/photos/142578757@N02/39930262681/in/dateposted-public/)

“Why didn’t you tell me?” she hisses, anger rising within her. Her eyes are burning Sansa, a person whom she thought she could trust. Immediately, her friend’s hands are held up in defence, a shocked expression on her face.

“I just found out,” Sansa whispers, brows knitting together. “We heard from Sam that he became close with a group of people, not that he was in love with one of them.”

Daenerys can see no ring on the woman’s finger, no diamond to symbolise an engagement. In truth, she is looking for a very specific ring. Many years ago, Jon had told her about his mother’s ring, the one that he would one day give to her. She is relieved to see that it is not adorning the red-haired woman’s finger, who speaks loud enough for most of the wedding party to hear. Okay, so she may be over exaggerating slightly, but her distaste is prevalent.

A glance is stolen of the happy couple, it’s torturous to see how the woman folds herself into Jon’s side. They broke up for a reason, she needs to remember that. Although, he broke up with her more than she broke up with him.

“How was she invited to the wedding? Did Robb know about her?” Daenerys asks, looking over at her friend. She knows that he was put in a difficult position when she and Jon broke up since he’d always been a friend to her and Jon is his brother. But over the past four years, he has been no less welcoming. He still teases her, hugs her when she was down and rolls his eyes when Sansa, Margaery and her, are having one of their wine nights.

Since the breakup, Daenerys has seen more of Jon’s family than he has.

“I wish I had an answer for you,” Sansa sighs, continuing to follow the crowd. Rose begins to shift in her arms, her light slumber disturbed by the growing noise. Bitterly, Daenerys wants to blame Jon’s loud-mouthed fiancee.

They all move in a gathering under an archway of roses, ready to have their pictures taken by a world-renowned photographer. Margaery has gone all out for the wedding.

Daenerys plasters on a smile, the one she learned to put on even when she didn’t feel like it. It had been that way since Rhaegar’s death.

Somehow, she ends up stood next to Jon. Apparently, the photographer thinks that the maid of honour and best man should stand side by side, Rose still held up in her arms. The child is babbling, sucking her wrist and flapping her arms. She doesn’t recognise Jon, the two haven’t met face to face.

“Hi,” he mutters, causing her to flinch. Four years and he decides to say hi!

Instead of answering, she ignores him, engaging Rose in meaningless conversation. She gasps at the young girl, making Rose giggle at the wide expressions on her godmother's face. Aside from Margaery and Robb, Daenerys is the youngest Stark’s favourite.

Dutifully, she smiles for the camera and attempts to get Rose to look in the direction of the photographer. At the very least, Robb and Margaery will have pictures where Rose is happy, even if she isn’t looking directly at the camera.

She knows that it is wrong to be so petty, but there’s a thrum of delight which rises through her bloodstream when she realises that Jon’s floozy is near the back of the crowd and will, therefore, be barely visible on the photographs. If only Jon could fade away from the image too!

She cannot wait to have a glass of wine, or two. The day will seem much more bearable if she’s sipping her favourite vino. She can’t believe that Jon would decide to introduce his fiancee on all days! This is supposed to be Margaery and Robb’s day, and now all anyone can talk about is this new woman.

When the photographer is done with the task of taking pictures, the red-haired woman makes her way forward to stand next to Jon. Daenerys has unfortunately not moved away, so she is forced to make eye-contact with the woman whose been glaring at her.

“You must be Daenerys. Jon has told me a lot about you,” the woman jibes, causing Dany to release a short, sarcastic laugh. She’s still bouncing Rose on her hip and has no interest in speaking for too long with this new woman.

“And yet, no one has heard a thing about you. Sorry, what was your name?” Daenerys gives a tight-lipped smile, head tilting to the side.

“You clearly weren’t important enough for him to tell you. My name is Ygritte.”

Before Daenerys can snap anything back, Margaery is sauntering over and tugging at her best friend’s arm. It’s a relief to be pulled away from the situation because she is not likely to leave without prompt.

“There’s my little Rose,” Robb chimes, collecting his daughter from her arms. Margaery is looking at her with a sympathetic glance, forcing Daenerys to catch her breath. The only person to know the whole truth about her breakup with Jon is Margaery. She had left no detail out, providing both her own failings and Jon’s. She supposes that Jon might think himself faultless, but he is far from it.

“Let’s get some champagne,” Margaery suggests linking arms with her own.

**- ><-**

 

After Daenerys decides to ignore the attendance of Jon and Ygritte entirely, she finds that the wedding is much more enjoyable. She laughs with her fellow bridesmaids, fawning over the way Robb had looked at Margaery when she was walking down the aisle. This is what she’s been waiting months for, to see her best friends happy.

Glancing down at her phone, she can see that there are several missed calls from her mother and a text which mentions Jon’s name. She doesn’t bother to open it.

Daenerys won’t let her life get turned upside down just because he’s come back with somebody else, she was fine without him for four years. She can live without him.

Absentmindedly, she wonders if he’s building Ygritte a house. He once bought a large piece of land, proclaiming that it would one day have their dream house.

She departs from the group, wine glass in her left hand, leaving the highly decorated room where everyone is finishing their meal. There’s a need to freshen up, to give herself a pep talk in the mirror and then come back as though she is completely unaffected, a strong business woman who does not think about her ex.

Footsteps follow her and at first, she does not dare look in fear that it might be someone she doesn’t want to speak to. No, he wouldn't be that stupid. Turning her head, Daenerys realises that he is that stupid.

“Why are you following me?” she asks, pulling out her room key. Her pace does not slow down, she doesn’t even look at him again. Her stilettoed feet click-clack against the marble floor.

“Well that is the first time you’ve actually acknowledged me all day!” she hears him respond gruffly, whilst the door to her suite swings open. Daenerys enters the room, flicking the switch so that light may filter through the suite. “Will you just stop and talk to me for a second?!”

“What do you want me to say Jon?” she asks, with crossed arms, glass rocking in her hand.

“Anything, something, it’s been four years...”

“Stop it! Stop speaking to me like you didn’t leave me.” She takes a long, unsteady, drink of her wine, fingers finding refuge in holding the crystal, despite her shaking figure.

“You left me long before I left you,” he snaps, causing her to flinch. Daenerys swallows thickly, turning on her heels. The wine glass in her hand almost cracks from her fierce grip, anger pulsating through her. _How dare he!_

Suddenly, she whips back around to face him. “You self-righteous asshole! I was grieving,” she growls, chest heaving as her eyes swell with tears - not from sadness, but anger.

“So was I! And you shut me out! You spoke to everyone but me and I grew tired of being alone,” he begins, running a hand through hair. “For months you were a stranger, that’s why it was easy for me to believe the suspicions about Drogo,”

“Easy for you to believe?” she interrupts, brow furrowing. Daenerys recalls the night well, the last straw, the sight of Jon packing his bags. “You always made your own assumptions about Drogo. All you needed to do was trust my love for you.”

"I wasn't sure that you still loved me." 

It was the same argument again, only four years later. He’s asking her the question, begging to know if she slept with someone else.

“Leave. Now.” Her voice is slow and stern, expression stoic.

He departs from the room, head low and muttering. The moment he is beyond the threshold, she slams the door shut. A screech leaves her, glass falling from her hands and scattering across the floor. Some pieces nick the exposed parts of her feet, which are not covered by the satin and jewelled fabric of her stilettos.

There’s a frantic knock on her door, causing her head to snap up. Angrily, she yanks it open.

“I told you to le... Oh, it’s you.”  

Sansa stands in the doorway, a concerned expression on her face. Her eyes go from Daenerys to the smashed glass on the floor, taking a tentative step forward.

“Jon looked upset,” Sansa shares, causing her to scoff. Radio silence for four years and then he turns up at Robb’s wedding with another woman, he must know how wrong that is. Even if Daenerys were in love with another, it still would not dissolve the shock of such an unexpected arrival.

“Have you been filled in on all the gory details of how they met?” Daenerys asks bitterly, side-stepping the glass to ender the attached bathroom. She spritzes her favourite Dolce and Gabbana perfume, reapplies her lipstick and checks that the long tendrils of her platinum curls are still intact.

“Renly seems to have decided that a game of twenty questions is required, he’s getting all the information for Margaery.” 

"What do your parents think of her?" Daenerys asks, almost scared of the answer. Ned and Catelyn are wonderful to her, she was supposed to be their daughter in law, not this sharp-tongued floozy. 

"They're sceptical about her, they've only known her for a couple of hours. She's not what they're used to, but Ygritte doesn't seem like a bad person. I'm not saying that to hurt you. But apparently, she's done a lot of good for a lot of people. Sounds like Jon and Ygritte were friends for most of the time and they just decided to give a relationship a go."

"Okay," Daenerys sighs, collecting her keycard once more. "We've got a wedding to enjoy!" 

They arrive back at the room and it's Jon who averts his eyes when he sees her. All the anger should be left in the past and since that's all she has of him now, Daenerys thinks it's better to not see him at all. 

Once the weekend is over, working life will resume and she can forget all about Jon again. She just needs to remind herself that right now, it's the shock which has her hung up on Jon. Hopefully, he'll go back to whatever Northern city he'd met Ygritte in and they'd never bother her again. That's what she wants, it's what she needs.

"Did you know that Arya and Gendry are moving in together? I'm surprised they're taking such a conventional step." She had always understood Arya more than Sansa, who was very much the opposite of her younger sister. Where Arya is tomboyish, Sansa is the epitome of a materialistic girl.

"What about you and a certain Lannister?" Daenerys enquires, making Sansa blush. 

"That's a story for later." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will be posted on Friday and then on a weekly basis. Going forward, chapters will be longer than the initial two.


	3. WASN'T LOOKING FOR LOVE

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I lied. From now on, it’ll be a chapter every Friday. I just wanted to get this one out because it gives everyone a little more insight into what is /actually/ going on. 
> 
> You’re getting Jon’s POV. It’s not going to be a common occurrence, but it is used for plot progression.
> 
> Also, I feel like I need to address the elephant in the room. This story has gained a lot of support which I am incredibly grateful for, but it has also received quite a bit of backlash due to the frustrating nature of both Daenerys and Jon in this story. It’s supposed to be angsty and they are incredibly flawed in this story, but that is the whole point. This is a story is about Jon and Daenerys growing back together, doing things right that they didn’t do before and making their relationship healthier. There has also been some vulgar/offensive language used against Daenerys which is unacceptable. I don’t care who you’re talking about, some words just aren’t acceptable.

**DAENERYS**

There’s a lightness to the sky when she stumbles into her suite with a sway in her step, the straps of her heels hanging from her fingers gingerly. They are dropped to the cool floor, as she attempts to navigate her way to the bathroom. There, she finds a packet of face-wipes, a product used only on the rare occasion that she’s so hammered that cleansing her face properly poses a health risk. She doesn’t fancy accidentally putting toner in her eyes.

Mystery cocktails made by Renly are never a good idea, but there she had been with Sansa, throwing them back with wild abandon. It was the third shot which finally got Sansa to open up about her not so secret relationship with Jaime Lannister. Getting drunk at the bar with one of her best friends meant that she could avoid Jon and Ygritte, which is what they all need. As much as she wants to be okay with seeing him with another woman, Daenerys knows that she isn’t. Sansa may be right, the red-haired woman may be lovely and giving, but she can’t stop the unreasonable thoughts from swirling around in her mind. Every selfish wish that they would just disappear back up North, leaving her in peace.

Sitting on the bathroom floor, Daenerys puts her head in her hands and begins to cry. She doesn’t like being selfish and bitter, it’s certainly not becoming. Rhaella would scold her and say that Jon is not worth the effort. After just one day she’s exhausted, she knows that fighting against the two of them will only end with someone getting hurt.

“You’re not going to do this again! He’s clearly happier with her, he didn’t even propose to you,” Daenerys mutters to herself, pressing her head back against the cabinets. “You can be civil, Daenerys. You are a grown-up.”

**JON**

“This was a terrible idea!” he groans, staring into space. His head is pounding, regret forcing itself to the forefront of his mind.

“It was your idea,” Ygritte responds, running a brush through her tangled ends. He’s watching her, guilt settling in his stomach. In his head, It had sounded a lot better.

He’d been speaking on the phone with Robb at the time, a mere 72 hours before the wedding. He’d stepped away from the pool table, where all his friends were drinking beer and playing the game poorly. Sam and Ygritte were already attending the wedding for moral support, and then his brother had started speaking about Daenerys.

Suddenly, one of his best friends is pretending to play the role of something else entirely. He just wanted to go to the wedding showing that he was all whole and healed, hoping that it would ease his parent’s worries. He also wanted to show Daenerys that he was over it, that they could be civil since he’d moved on and apparently so had she.

What an idiot he’s been!

“I’m the world's biggest asshole right now!” he proclaims, pressing a hand to his forehead. “And I dragged you into this mess.”

“What surprises me is that anyone actually believes we’re in love. Especially when you keep looking over at her like a lost puppy!” Ygritte plonks herself down to him, nudging him in the side. “Didn’t even get me a diamond ring,” she smirks, making Jon cringe.

He will never buy a diamond ring, he already has one. But even if it is just pretend, he can’t bear to put it on someone else’s finger. Jon knows that deep down there’s unfinished business, words still left to be had.

“You were very cold to her,” Jon notes, recalling what Ygritte had said at their first meeting.

“Did you expect me to be nice? You’re my best friend and that bitch broke your heart. And why are you the asshole? She’s the one who couldn’t have a polite conversation with you.” There’s no veil to Ygritte’s words, just strong opinions.

“I’m going to go and talk to her,” he announces, swinging his legs over the side of the bed. Ygritte looks at him as though he’s going mad, but he doesn’t care. The guilt is weighing him down, the deception and games. He’s spent too much time holding his tongue when he should have said something. Not seeing her meant that it was easier to forget just how much he loved her and how much it hurt when he left.

“Have you seen what time it is? She’s either asleep or has that man under her! What did Robb say his name was?” His brother’s unfortunate slip of the tongue, he could practically hear him sweating on the other side of the phone. Robb had said that Daenerys would be at the wedding, but he didn’t think she was bringing her _friend_.

“Daario,” he sighs, sitting back down on the bed

**DAENERYS**

When she wakes, Daenerys regrets her choices. She’s still in the bathroom, legs sprawled across the tiles, gooseflesh covering the expanse as she shivers from the cold. Her head is pounding from the aftermath of alcohol, causing her to wince from all the bright lights she’d left on the night before.

Standing on unsteady legs, she rotates to grasp the faucet so that she can begin running a bath. Something needs to soothe her aching bones and she’s not in a state to go to the spa.

Walking into the suite, she tugs her phone from the embellished clutch which Margaery had hand selected and proceeds to plug it into the charger.

Once that task is completed, Daenerys then pulls open the mini fridge and grasps the bottle of still water, quickly decanting it into a tumbler so that she can take some Advil.

To her relief, it does not take long for the bath to fill up.

She steps slowly before sinking down, submerging into the steaming water. Her head is pushed into a bun on the top of her head, she does not have the effort to tackle washing her thick mane of hair.

Daenerys cringes thinking back to the day before, it was more stressful than she was anticipating. She hopes that the wedding guests weren’t aware of her bitterness towards the best man and his fiancee. Aside from the initial snap of words at Ygritte and the argument which had taken place in her suite, there was no evidence of her not enjoying the day. She locked away her feelings, portraying on her face only what she wished to.

Renly and Loras certainly cheered her up, twirling her and Sansa around the dancefloor and chanting as they took their next shot.

She wants to blame her hangover on them. But she was the one who decided that shots were a good idea. Daenerys wonders if Sansa is faring any better, or if she too is a strange shade of green.

There’s a knock at the door, but Daenerys has no energy to get out of the bath. “Who is it?” she shouts, cringing at her own decision to make such a loud noise.

“It’s me, princess. How’s the hangover,” Renly’s taunts are unkind, but do not come from a place of cruelty. Daenerys mumbles something incoherent back. “We’re meeting downstairs for breakfast in half-an-hour,” he announces, causing her to groan once again. It will take a miracle and a tub of concealer to have her looking presentable. Olenna will certainly have something to say about her bags today. 

"I'll be there," Daenerys responds reluctantly, shifting to get out of the bath. She knows that there is no point in dressing in high-fashion clothes, she'll be fooling no one. Daenerys Targaryen is nursing one hell of a hangover and she definitely deserves it. 

Tugging a pair of leggings from her suitcase, along with a ruby-toned wrap cardigan and a soft cotton top, she dresses for the day in comfort. Her hair is pulled up into a pony-tail, the long ends curling from where it had been styled the day before. Normally, she might have accented it with a few braids to make it look more bohemian, but it is too much effort. 

She then returns to the sink, washing her face properly, brushing her teeth and applying all her expensive moisturisers. Last but not least, she puts on her eye masks in the hope of dropping a few bags. 

While she lets the products do their magic, she sits on the bed which she did not utilise and begins to scroll through her phone. There are a few desperate texts from Daario, another from her mother and finally a missed call from Drogo. Despite Daenerys having many male friends, it was always Drogo who Jon considered being something of a threat to their relationship. 

 Since she was a child, Daenerys had been close with Drogo. There was a deep friendship and a love there, but it was not the kind of love which she had for Jon. When her parents were threatening to divorce during her teenage years, it was Drogo who consoled her. He was a few years her senior, wiser, but not always level headed. After she lost the baby, Daenerys could not bear to be around Jon. 

Every time she looked at him, she was reminded of the loss. So she turned to Drogo, unburdening her feelings and sharing her turmoil. Daenerys supposed that she did drive Jon away, but really she just wanted him to fight for them. She was too devastated to and their relationship hung on the threads that Jon was holding, neither of them communicating to the point where it shattered all their memories. 

They were so young, barely out of college. Twenty-two and already drifting, perhaps they were doomed from the start. 

 

Leaving the temporary comfort of her bed, Daenerys finds the effort to leave the room. Her feet are slipped into a pair of flat knee high riding boots, feet denying any hope of wearing a heel.

When she enters the breakfast room, there is already a lot of people sat down drinking freshly squeezed juices. Daenerys accepts a glass of orange, whilst scanning the area.

Margaery gives her a smile across the room, waving her over.

She notices that Jon and Ygritte are sat next to Bran, Catelyn and Ned. There’s still fire in Ygritte’s gaze, but this time Dany does not return it.

Instead, she sits down next to Renly.

“You look worse than that time when we decided to liven up Stannis’s birthday party!” he observes, before laughing at her scowl. “In fairness, Loras is feeling the effects of yesterday worse than you. He spent most of the night sitting beside the toilet.”

Daenerys decides not to share her sleeping situation from the night before. Avocado toast makes her feel a little more human, her stomach grumbling for sustenance.

She is relieved that she can have tomorrow to catch up on work, before returning to the office on Monday. No doubt Cersei would be screaming down the phone at some point. Daenerys can only hope to never reach the level of mad bitch that the owner of Casterly mag achieves, but she knows yesterday was pretty close.

She looks over at Robb and Margaery, they look so happy in marital bliss with all their friends and family around them. She doesn’t want to make anything difficult for them, so she looks over at Jon.

It’s decided that after breakfast she will go and talk to him to clear the air. She knows her feelings are unreasonable. But four years later she still feels angry at him. Not seeing him felt like the argument had been suspended, but not fully diminished.

She looks at him and it all feels familiar. All she can think about is how happy the used to be before everything got so screwed up.

Daenerys never really moved on, she just lived in the moment. Seeing that Jon had, hurt her more than she’d expected.

“Earth to Daenerys! Is anyone in there?” She’s pulled from her thoughts by Renly, who’s waving his hand in front of her face.

“Yeah, sorry, just thinking,” she replies, shaking her head.

Everyone sits around for a while, calm chatter filling the air. Meanwhile, Daenerys spends most of it trying to think about how best to approach Jon. As much as she wants to be accepting of Ygritte, although she’s aware that her approval isn’t required, it’s a conversation which needs to take place without a third party. 

“You’ve been tugging at that napkin for the past half hour. Are you okay?” 

Daenerys nods at the question, excusing herself from the table - albeit a little reluctantly. 

She's relieved that Jon is no longer sat with the Starks, but instead having an animated conversation with Sam. Taking a deep breath, she walks over to the two of them and steadies her nerves. 

"Sorry to interrupt. Jon, could I borrow you for a couple of minutes?" she asks, barely able to look him in the eye. Aside from feeling deeply embarrassed about her behaviour towards him yesterday, there is still a lot of anger towards him. 

He clears his throat, patting Sam on the shoulder and then proceeds to follow her out of the room. She doesn't want to have this conversation, but she knows that it's important. If she is ever going to move on with her life, she needs to do this now. Four years is long enough to have no words to say to one another.

They find a private room, both walking in silence until they reach the destination. Daenerys does not let her nerves show, although she wonders if Jon still sees the real her...probably not. There was a time when he knew about her vulnerability, her fear to let anyone, he probably thinks she's grown bitter and cruel since he left. 

"I want to apologise. Yesterday, you tried to be civil and I shot you down. I spent the day wishing you and Ygritte had not walked through the door, it wasn't right or fair," she admits, lowering her gaze. "I don't want to hate you all the time, Jon."

He goes to speak, but she cuts him off. "I promise I'll let you have your say. But I do need to get this out," she comments, deeply swallowing. Daenerys sits down in one of the plush chairs, green velvet cushioning her. 

"I'm glad that you're happy. Once the shock wore off, I realised how childish I was being. It's been a long time and we're both different people now. I'm sure Ygritte is great and I can't promise that I'll try to be her friend, but I will be polite," she gives her most genuine smile, even if she hates the words that she is saying. If she pretends that she is okay seeing Jon happy with someone else, eventually it won't hurt and that's what she's aiming for. In the meantime, she'll focus on work and on Rose, maybe become the mother of puppies or something like that. Daenerys may never find her great love since she's already lost it, but she doesn't live a miserable life.

"I know I should have said more. But I want you to know that I am grateful for how long you did wait, some would have left a lot sooner than you did. I'll always be mad at you for giving up, logically I know it was the right decision. And you went on to meet Ygritte and get engaged, it was clearly the best decision for you."

Ygritte and I," he begins, before pausing his words. Daenerys does not get here what comes next, as a group of irritate people proclaim that they've booked the room and they need to vacate immediately. 


	4. People in Glass Houses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A family meal has Daenerys hot under the collar and secrets are revealed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for all the love and feedback that the story has been getting! It means the world!!

“I guess that’s our cue to leave,” Daenerys mutters, sidestepping Jon as they leave the room. His hand grasps her arm gently, but with a force that begs her not to leave just yet.

“I appreciate what you just said, Daenerys. But the truth is that I haven’t been entirely honest about Ygritte.” She frowns, arms folding over her chest. The next line scares her, there’s a mystery behind his words that leaves her wondering. “We aren’t real.”

“What do you mean you aren’t real?” she probes, feeling the contents of breakfast swirling in the pit of her stomach. Behind the glass doors, she can hear the group of people cracking open a bottle of champagne in celebration, and she’s acutely aware of the ringing bell of the elevator. Blood pumps into her ears, it’s almost like she’s underwater.

“She’s one of my best friends and I love her...just not in the way that everyone thinks. I asked her to pretend to be my girlfriend, but somehow fiancee slipped out when I was speaking with Robb. You see I heard about Daario and…”

“...and what? You wanted to one-up me by getting a fake fiancee?” she asks, shocked by what she’s hearing. Daenerys consciously takes a step back from him, shaking her head. “What was the end game here?”

“I thought that I could come with Ygritte, that you might be here with Daario and we could have a conversation that doesn’t end with an argument or you smashing glasses.”

“And I thought you liked to take the moral high-ground,” she mutters, heart thrumming erratically in her chest. “You want to know the truth about Daario? He’s there when I’m feeling pretty pathetic about myself when all I can think about are happy memories of us. We are toxic and I drive myself crazy just being around you. This weekend was supposed to be special, happy, and instead, I’ve spent the best part of it crying or shouting. You drive me nuts and seeing you with someone else drives me nuts.”

“I’m sorry, Dany. I never wanted to hurt you or anyone else, my decision was misguided but not driven from a place of anger.” He reaches for her hand, which she almost tugs away. “Every time I tried to move on, something held me back. I just wanted to show that I wasn’t living on four years worth of what if’s.What if we’d stayed together? What if we didn’t lose the baby? What if you actually spoke to me after it happened rather than shutting me out? What if I didn’t leave that night? ” Jon's shoulders slump eyes searching her own.

Despite her stubbornness, her eyes are watery and full of longing, “If only we knew back then how much our relationship would destroy us.”

“That first day when it happened, the only person I had was Drogo. You were on the other side of the country and I was losing our baby. I didn’t need to explain to Drogo because he was there when it happened, but I couldn’t bear to talk about it when you came home. I didn’t want it to be real,” Daenerys admits, recalling it vividly. It haunts her, nightmares all revolving around the same scenario. “Selfish as it is, I think a part of me blamed you for not being there when it happened.”

“This is a conversation we should have had four years ago.” Daenerys knows that he’s not wrong and now it’s too late. She knows that they’ve both harmed the other, that neither has escaped from the situation a saint. But in that moment, she can no longer bear to look at him.

“It was nice to see you, Jon,” she sighs, shrugging away his hand. The words seem false, for none of the time since she’s seen him has been pleasant. But she doesn’t want to make it worse.

Silently, Daenerys walks down the corridor away from Jon. They’ve drifted and there is no way back.  There’s no hope of friendship, they’ve proven that it’s too difficult.

**\----**

Daenerys forgot that she’d agreed to dinner at her parent’s house. Her initial hope was that she could spend the remainder of her Saturday curled up on the sofa reeling from the news, but instead, she’s pulling up outside Dragonstone Mansion in her finery, a bottle of vintage wine resting on the passenger seat.

Sat outside in the dark, hands still resting on the wheel, she begins to laugh. It’s ridiculous, the entire situation is absolutely ridiculous. A fake fucking fiance? If she knows Jon, he’ll beat himself up about it for weeks and weeks. But even so, she can’t help but feel cheated by him, probably because she was the more deceitful one.

Her car is parked beside her brother’s. Just like Viserys, it’s demanding of the driveway. She imagines that her brother is sat there with a miserable face, grumbling as the conversation moves away from talking about him. He’s always enjoyed the attention, always being mollycoddled by their parents. And after Rhaegar died, Viserys suddenly thought that he could become their darling golden boy. But the truth was, there was no replacing her older brother and Viserys was still falling in his shadow. So many years ago there was a car crash of five, Rhaegar Targaryen, Robert Baratheon, Lyanna Stark, Elia Martell and Brandon Stark. None survived, by their families were all left in despair after the incident.

Every year, Daenerys goes out with her candles to her secret hiding spot which Rhaegar shared with her and she remembers her older brother.

A knock on her side-door mirror startles her, her hands flailing across the steering wheel as she gasps for breath. It’s Uncle Barristan! Not her actual uncle, but a man who has been so close to her family that it’s fair enough to call him so.

Her door is opened and she’s quick to launch her arms around him, delighted to see his familiar face. Despite his retirement, he just cannot stay away from the FBI. Constantly wanting to put his two cents towards cold cases, with tidbits of the old days, Barristan Selmy is considered something of a legend among the younger agents.

“I can’t believe you were gone for so long,” she gasps, pressing a kiss to his pink cheek.

“I’ve missed you too, princess,” Barristan responds with sweet sentiment. The pet name is something he’s called her since she was a young girl dreaming that she was a princess who could save herself, with flying dragons and glittering jewels.

“We had best go in, they might send a search party,” his deep voice brings comfort to her, and she is reminded of a time when Barristan would sit with her and Rhaegar, singing and laughing. Given that it would have been Rhaegar’s birthday, it’s only natural that the man is invited to the meal.

They walk up the stone steps and before anyone can knock on, the door is opened by the butler. Her parents have always lived in a palatial mansion and it was the backdrop to her childhood. At the age of twenty-five, just one year prior, Daenerys had inherited over one hundred million dollars in trust...not that she needed it.

For a few years, she’d been paving a bright future for herself, climbing the metaphorical ladder within the multi-national magazine corporation Lannister Publications. Cersei Lannister sat atop the empire, which she had been given the reigns to after the untimely death of the late Tywin Lannister. She was not the nicest of employers and as Editor in Chief to Casterly Magazine, Daenerys was constantly being called into her office at the top of the tower.

The only thing that she admired about Cersei Lannister was her determination to be a woman in power with no man by her side. The scandalous marriage of Cersei Lannister and Euron Greyjoy had been hot news once upon a time, and while he fell into nothingness, Cersei rose like a vengeful goddess.

She and Barristan walk inside, her Manolo Blahniks tapping against the polished floor. Her mother appears around the corner, platinum curls sparkling as she presses a kiss to her daughter’s cheek and pulls her in for a bony hug.

“You’re late,” she sings, pulling a half a metre away to assess her only daughter. For the most part, Rhaella is a loving and compassionate woman. However, she has always wanted her daughter to be impeccable, right down to the bone. She is the first to tell Daenerys that the ends of her hair are dry or she looks better after losing that pound she put on over Christmas.

Sidestepping her mother is not as easy as she had hoped, apparently, ignoring her calls the day before were ill-advised and Rhaella is quick to probe. “So how was the wedding? Was Jon there? Would I have liked Margaery’s dress?” Questions get thrown at her, so much so that she barely has time to catch her breath.

“It was a lovely wedding and Margaery looked wonderful. You’ve always loved Margaery’s designs, so I have no doubt you would have been impressed with the dress. If I ever get married, she better design mine.  I have a few pictures on my phone, but I’m sure you’ll be able to see all the official ones on all the social media sites soon,” Daenerys answers, hoping that it will be enough to satisfy her curious mother.

Rhaella nods, but there is something in her expression that tells Daenerys that the conversation is not over.

Her father is next to greet her and is very blunt about his feelings.

“Where have you been hiding?” Aerys scolds his daughter, wrapping one arm around her in a half-hug as he sips his scotch and nods warmly at Barristan.

Viserys stays in the corner glowering, so it is up to her to make nice. So she wanders over, not offering a hug. They were never the hugging kind of siblings, Viserys was not so open about his affections as the other Targaryens were. But in place of that, he seemed to inherit more of her father’s temper.

“Long time no see Vis,” Daenerys comments, hoping that the tension in the air can be alleviated.  

Her older brother simply lifts his head in a non-verbal response and then turns away, heading back down the corridor.

Rolling her eyes, Daenerys follows, although it’s not with the intent of making conversation. They’re chalk and cheese, and she already has a headache.

When it’s time for them to all sit down to eat, Daenerys finds that she she is starving. Sat beside Barristan, with her brother and his girlfriend opposite, she realises that the company isn’t so bad. Doreah makes more conversation and sometimes Daenerys cannot help but wonder how the woman puts up with Viserys and his tantrums. Still, she knows that people in glass houses shouldn't throw stones. After all, she’s far from perfect.

“I saw you the other day at the Water Garden Gin bar, you were with some gentleman. I don’t think you noticed me,” Doreah announces, causing her to cringe. On second thought, maybe the company is bad.

Immediately, Rhaellas head shoots towards her with interest.

“Who was this gentleman, darling?” she asks after finishing her spoonful of soup. Dany can feel herself growing warm, but she is determined to keep her composure. If she breaks in front of her mother, there is absolutely no hope of her escaping the situation unscathed.

“He’s a friend from work. He’s a photographer under the label ‘Second Sons’,” she announces, taking a large gulp of her wine. Thinking about him makes her remember their last night together and how abrupt she had been in kicking him out of her house. It is wrong to keep him on the end of a string and she doesn’t intend to play him, he’s simply there when she’s feeling particularly low.

“He seems like quite the catch, Dany,” Doreah continues with a wink, causing her to grip the stem of her glass a bit to firmly. Out the corner of her eye, she sees Barristan’s eyebrows raise.

“As I said, he’s a friend from work.” Popping a piece of bread into her mouth, Daenerys contemplates payback. A part of her is desperate to comment on her brother’s relationship, but instead, she bites her tongue. She doesn’t want to ruin the family meal. They’ve come together on Rhaegar’s family to spend an hour or two as a family, she can hold her tongue today. 

Her phone buzzes, causing her to glance down at the screen and read the new text:   _‘Guess who's back in town! Your Sun and Stars, that’s who. You better have time in that busy schedule for your favourite guy. Gotta tell you all about my epic proposal to Mira.’_

Quickly, she begins her text back: ‘ _Choose the place and I’m there, Moon of my Life_ ’ Now she’s grinning from ear to ear, excited to see Drogo. He’s been her closest and dearest friend for as long as she can remember, although his large presence in her life caused a few arguments between Jon and her. There was no need for any of Jon's fears, but then there was little need for a lot of things. 

“What has you smiling?” Rhaella asks with a hopeful look. The woman’s eyebrows are almost in her hairline, hang suspended in midair from when she’d been lifting her spoon to her mouth, it’s almost comedic for Daenerys to see.

“Drogo” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And there you have it! I hope you enjoyed the latest instalment.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Daenerys sees an old friend and receives three new additions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It’s been so long! I want to thank everyone for being so patient with me and for your messages of support. I have been ill recently and then my beloved dog died, so it’s been quite a troubling time. But, I’m back and in the swing of things again. This chapter is rather dog-centric because I needed it and the last few have been rather angsty, so we're a bit more fluffy this time. Since we can't give her dragons, let her have puppies!

As she leaves the office, hairs are tumbling out of the clip which had held half of her blonde strands away from her eyes. The day was tough with Cersei on her case all day, and if she did not have prior plans then she would have headed home to have a glass of wine and a long bath. She is instead reapplying her lipstick and slipping into her driver’s car.  A courtesy call has already been made, informing Drogo that she is going to be a few minutes later than expected...more than twenty to be exact.

Messages are still pinging through from her work’s Whatsapp group, everyone complaining about the devil incarnate CEO who had turned up with a mission to upset and aggravate everyone. Most of the time, Daenerys really enjoys her job, but there are sometimes when she just wants to run away from all the stress and hide on a remote island somewhere.

Daenerys feels nervous about seeing her friend again, it’s been so long. Whenever she sees him now, Daenerys is reminded about the numerous arguments that she had about her relationship with him. Jon was never impressed by the closeness, always seeing something that was never even there.

By the time she arrives at the restaurant, Drogo is ordering his second beer. As she walks over to the table, having been directed by the maitre d', Dany is immediately swept up into a big hug that could only be given by one man. Her sun and stars. The names that they had for one another came from her childhood.

To Rhaegar, she was always his little moon goddess and when he died she felt like her shine was gone. Her next door neighbour and friend Drogo said that she would always be the moon, and so the names had come from there. Over a decade later and the names had stuck, she had tried to tell Jon that there was nothing romantic in it, but he never listened. Apparently, Drogo crossed too many boundaries in their relationship and she let him.

“We have so much to discuss! Tell me about the engagement,” Daenerys starts, sitting down in her designated chair. It’s so good to see him and she’s reminded of how much she’s missed him since he went travelling. Drogo never likes to stay in one place for too long and it seems that Mira is the same.

A waiter with a white cloth folded over his dark jacket pours her a glass of rich red wine, Drogo having already ordered the bottle. She’s surprised but glad to see that Mira has not joined him. As lovely as the fiery-haired woman is, it’s nice to catch up with her friend with no one else there.

“As you know, we volunteered to help build houses in South Africa. I’d known for a while that she was the one for me, but man did that trip put things into perspective for me. She’s a remarkable woman,” Drogo begins, taking a gulp of his beer. She smiles, recalling the pictures posted on both of their Instagrams. Mira had looked so happy, finger sparkling with the ring that Drogo had brought her. He had always been the new money in her town growing up, his parent's horse breeders with large expanses of land. They were neighbours, but there were about 32 acres between their houses. Drogo decided not to go into the family business, instead becoming an architect.

Daenerys is certainly proud of the man that’s he’s become.

“I’m really happy for you, Drogo,” she smiles, peering at her menu. Meeting up with old friends allows her to feel sane. Drogo has always been able to screw her head back on when she's felt like there is nowhere left to turn. If not for girls, Daenerys would feel completely alone. "I've decided to get a dog," she suddenly announces, although it's not out of the blue. Her thoughts of alone reminding her of her quiet home and the need to have something to love. 

"Really? I was speaking to a guy the other day who was working on one of the site's with me, he said that there are three rescue pups in need of a home. You should go check them out," he recommends, pulling out his phone to send her the details. 

“How was the wedding? I bumped into your dad earlier today, he mentioned that Jon would’ve been there and that you didn’t say much about it.” Straight in at the deep end, no bullshit. Daenerys nods, taking another sip of wine as she contemplates her next words. She hates that it affects her, but also that people around her expect it to affect her.

“It was strange,” she sighs, settling on the mundane word. It was more than just that, seeing Jon had thrown her through a ringer. He’s so far away from her now, his life taking a different path and yet she can see him and it feels like nothing and everything has changed.

Drogo gives her a look, leaning forward on his elbows, “That’s the ‘keep my parents happy’ response. Come on, Dany, you know you can tell me.”

Releasing a groan, she leans back in her chair and taps the menu. “It was uncomfortable, frustrating and also really nice. Looking back on it now I realised that during the wedding I didn’t consider that, how nice it was to just see him. When someone has been a part of your life for so long and then leaves, you don’t realise how much you miss them until they show up again.” Rolling her eyes, she turns to the waiter and orders her food, before allowing Drogo to do the same.

The evening continues in the same manner, two friends reminiscing and confiding in one another. She promises to ring more and he promises to visit more often.

When the weekend finally comes around again, she’s ready for it. Her head is furrowed in the pillow when it begins to ring, causing her to jolt awake. The clock registers 7 am and she realises that her hope of a lie in has already been ruined, but she won’t linger on that. Lifting the phone to her ear without checking the scream, Daenerys mumbles a hello into the speaker. It comes out croaky from her sleep, forcing her to clear her throat. 

“Morning Dany, we still on for today?” the voice is as clear as a bell, Sansa has clearly been up for a while. 

“Yes, we’re still going,” Daenerys confirms, slipping from the bed. The sheets are empty, although her phone has buzzed continuously with messages from Daario. She really ought to cut those ties. 

She walks down to her kitchen, fingers tugging at soft close cabinets as she begins to make herself a cup of coffee. On her marble countertop rests a rope bone, with a small ribbon wrapped around it. The affixed message states, ‘good luck’. Margaery was always there with a gift basket or card for any occasion and getting a puppy is no exception. If it were not for the fact that her friends have now departed on their honeymoon, she’s certain that Margaery would have joined her on the day trip to the dog rescue centre. 

She pours strong coffee into her favourite mug, wincing when she takes a sip too early. It scolds the tip of her tongue, causing her to retract the mug and place it on the countertop. 

“Typical,” she mutters, tugging on her MacBook to slide it across the counter closer to her. Both personal and work emails ping at the bottom, and she’s quick ignore any with the name ‘Cersei Lannister’, it’s too early in the morning for that. 

Her browser is full of articles about dogs, all of which makes her smile. She changes tab and is hit with an image of Jon. She had forgotten that the night before she’d been scrolling through Instagram and then somehow ended up on her ex-boyfriend’s profile. In all honesty, she’s mostly intrigued by the pictures of Jon and Ghost together. That and the picture of Jon holding Rosie. Seeing him holding the baby causes a sharp stab in her heart. Too many times she’s imagined what their baby would’ve looked like. 

Jon Snow is the biggest ‘what if’ in her life and she detests herself for it. 

Daenerys gets herself ready, tugging on dark jeans and a soft grey cashmere sweater. Her hair is pulled back into a messy bun on the back of her head as she applies only lip balm. Although she enjoys wearing make-up, it's nice to give her skin a breather every now and then. 

The car horn beeps outside as Daenerys is rushing around the house trying to find her keys. Another beep comes as she's heading towards the door, forcing her eyes to roll. Impatient woman...not that she is much better. 

Swinging the door shut, Daenerys locks up her house and heads down the long driveway. Sansa has been let in through the gates, meaning that she does not need to walk far to hop into the car. They could have gone in her car, but her friend insisted on driving...something about the inevitability of Daenerys wanting to hold her puppy on the way home. 

“Hey Dany, are you excited?” she asks with a gleaming smile, pushing designer sunglasses onto her petite features. Dany has forgotten her own sunglasses, but she’s too consumed with other thoughts to care.

“I’m looking forward to it,” she replies, popping her handbag onto the back seat. Directions are put into the GPS, guiding the two women to a secluded part of the Eastern town. 

“What was the name of the dog rescue centre again?” Sansa asks, furrowing her brow. They’ve been driving for quite a while, especially since the place is only supposed to be half an hour away. 

“Gardener Dog Rescue.” She looks over at Sansa, who appears to be a little flustered. Before her friend has even admitted it, Daenerys knows that they’ve taken a wrong turn. The blonde lets out a giggle, pushing her fingers to her lips to staunch the laughter. 

Sansa’s head whips around sharply, a scowl on her features. “Don’t laugh,” she wines dramatically, although there’s a grin lifting onto her lips. 

“We’ve all done it, Sansa,” she smiles, looking at the GPS which has a spinning wheel with the words ‘recalculating’ on the screen. 

It takes an extra fifteen minutes but they pull up to the animal shelter, and she can hear the dogs barking before they even enter. 

A well-groomed man walks forward, wearing a flannel shirt tucked into form-fitting jeans, she liked that look on a man...it was the kind of thing which Jon would wear around the house. Although, his shirt would often be hanging over his jeans with a few buttons popped open, allowing her to see his collarbone. Internally groaning at herself, Daenerys walks forward in her riding boots and enters the building.

Excitable dogs jump at the cages, desperate for attention. They’re all so lovely and she wishes she could take them all. 

“Drogo mentioned that there were three Labrador puppies,” she muses. The man nods in response, guiding her down to the end where she can see a small litter. Apparently, the mother had been saved from a sad situation and there was a worry for a while that the puppies wouldn’t make it.  

Daenerys got down on her knees, staring at the three puppies. They rush over to her, licking and nipping at her hands, eagerly attempting to climb over her. It won’t be her first dog and she's ready for another. Her fingers comb through their fur, feeling the warmth and love of the tiny little dogs. Daenerys knows that her beautiful wooden cabinets will be at risk of chewing, but she can't bring herself to care.

“They’ve all got their own personalities. But all are affectionate.” The voice is behind her, but she’s transfixed on the puppies. She feels the connection, the need to mother them...all of them. 

“I'll adopt all three. These little guys have already been through an ordeal, I can't bear to split them up.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed the first chapter.


End file.
